Blindsight
A blind man walks an obstacle course
without bumping into a thing
they call it blindsight
when the brain interprets
what the eye doesn’t know it sees
like telescopes picking up light specks from space
or computers processing data for years
unattended except by spiders
who if they could read would know that at 11:47 am
a new planet was discovered
moving away from Earth at great speed
covered in things that look like cities
* Vanessa Gebbie is author of Words from a Glass Bubble and contributing editor to Short Circuit, a Guide to the Art of the Short Story (both Salt Publishing). www.vanessagebbie.com
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Saturday, October 31
Vanessa Gebbie's wondering about blindsight
by
Charles Christian
on Sat 31 Oct 2009 02:18 PM GMT
Friday, October 30
Four haiku for a Friday - by Sue Gee
by
Charles Christian
on Fri 30 Oct 2009 04:49 PM GMT
I waited for him
On the corner of the street Like a sad hooker. Stuck inside again Trapped by chicken pox and germs Unable to fly. Captain Hook is bad But his hook is pretty cool And what a hairstyle! I can’t believe it Just when I thought it was safe Another salesman. * Sue Gee says "My four haiku were inspired by being stuck inside with poorly children. I live in Stockport, England. I have just finished a literature degree. I blog at www.concreteandflowers.blogspot.com Thursday, October 29
New haiga by Jeff Winke
by
Charles Christian
on Thu 29 Oct 2009 06:00 PM GMT
 * Jeffrey Winke is a haiku/haibun/haiga poet and public relations counselor. Recent publications include That Smirking Face, a haiku-art broadside collaboration with Matt Cipov (Milwaukee: Distant Thunder Press, 2008) and PR Idea Book: 50 Proven Tools That Really Work (Denver: Outskirts Press, 2006). www.jeffwinke.com
The Aldeburgh Poetry Festival Blog...
by
Charles Christian
on Thu 29 Oct 2009 03:14 PM GMT
 The Poetry Trust is offering a two-for-one ticket offer for two fantastic events taking place during the 21st Aldeburgh Poetry Festival 6 - 8 November 2009. To book your discounted tickets call the Box Office on 01728 687110 and quote ‘Cut Offer’. TWO FOR ONE: FAMILY READING: JOHN HEGLEY - FRIDAY 6 NOVEMBER, JUBILEE HALL, 6.00 – 7.00PM, £6 adults/£4 (under 16s) The hugely entertaining and fabulously funny John Hegley is one of the country's best-loved poet/performers . An hour of songs, poems and joining in's for all ages is promised as John reflects on insects, people and potatoes. The Observer says ‘John Hegley is to potatoes what Wordsworth has been to daffodils’. The evening begins with a short and always endearing reading by the winners of the Suffolk Young Poets Competition. TWO FOR ONE: PETER BLEGVAD IN PERFORMANCE - SATURDAY 7 NOVEMBER, JUBILEE HALL, 5.45 – 6.30PM, £6 Cult-cartoonist and successful singer-songwriter Peter Blegvad will provide a musical interlude during the annual Aldeburgh weekend of words. Described as a veritable mix of Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Leonard Cohen, Loudon Wainwright III and Tom Waits this is a rare chance to hear him solo and acoustic. Peter Blegvad is also the genius behind the Independent on Sunday cartoon creation Leviathan which entertained readers throughout the 90s. You can expect the same surreal wit, pathos and entertainment from his cool tunes and sharp lyrics. Wednesday, October 28
Holly Day is waiting for the tourist season to come around
by
Charles Christian
on Wed 28 Oct 2009 07:28 PM GMT
Tourist Season
we’d sit by the lake and he’d tell me stories of the places he’d been, with convoluted names like “Nebraska” and “Mississippi” the difference in the way one pronounces “Kansas” and “Arkansas.” The people in his stories were as exotic as the places they lived—men who cut sheet metal into animal silhouettes bent spades into birdhouses and turned old train cars into hotels. I wanted to badly to be with him in Colorado to stand in the exact spot where four state lines met to take a small rubber raft over rocks and dangerous rapids and survive it all. He kept saying, Next time, next time, I promise. Next time.” I waited by the lake for him to come and get me waited with my suitcase packed, ready to leave visions of Indianapolis burning holes in my brain but he never came back to get me, never took me away. * Holly Day is a travel writing instructor living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her husband and two children. Her most recent nonfiction books are Music Theory for Dummies, Music Composition for Dummies and Walking Twin Cities. Tuesday, October 27
Ariel Child is playing a gay piano
by
Charles Christian
on Tue 27 Oct 2009 03:00 PM GMT
The Mother*
The woman who gave birth to me said Stop playing around, you’re worse than the cat So she took a bat and hit me Over the head and kicked me With her legs and fists And threw a knife in the air But only to warn me Never to behave that way again Days passed and years as well Small wounds do still ache and swell So she took the world and slipped me Some pills, matches and lit me. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Gay Piano My little thumb numb crawling up your bum I want you to make me pop pop popular Manoeuvre my tongue through your lung Like an anchor not down to your knees But nearer to your peen The stirring sound of delicate pubes testickled Where I would not close an eye Not sleep a wink but play you Like the gay piano you are Pinky pink all numb crawling up yours * Bio(degradable): A Child was born the day her mother left their family home in anger, threatening to move back to grandma’s house, leaving her and her father standing on the porch. Staring fearfully, she turned to her daddy and asked: “Do you know how to cook?” * The Mother was first published in Poetry Showcase online. Monday, October 26
Political comment from Jonathan Pinnock
by
Charles Christian
on Mon 26 Oct 2009 04:23 PM GMT
A bit of topical comment here by regular IS&T contributor Jonathan Pinnock – most people in the UK who watched last week's Question Time of BBC TV will recognise who this poem is about...
Oxygen Give him the oxygen of publicity: watch him hyperventilate. Give him more than he can breathe: watch his fat face grow. See his body gorge and bloat, then watch as he explodes. All it takes is a little prick. Sunday, October 25
New poetry animation
by
Charles Christian
on Sun 25 Oct 2009 09:02 AM GMT
We've been searching the internet for some new poetry animations – and it's been proving hard to find any that combine imaginative graphics with good poetry (ironically there are some great animations out there of terrible poetry) – however we think this piece Paradoxes and Oxymorons by John Ashbery (see video for full list of credits) neatly fits the bill...
Saturday, October 24
If you are in Southend on Sunday...
by
Charles Christian
on Sat 24 Oct 2009 09:00 AM BST
 If you are in Southend (England) this coming Sunday (25 October) then catch the Sundown live word and music gig at The Alex on Alexandra Street (7:30 - 10:30pm) featuring, among other things, a storytelling session by IS&T editor Charles Christian. He's promising to debut a brand new tale. Which could be a good thing – or maybe not. Friday, October 23
Four haiku by Alexis Rotella
by
Charles Christian
on Fri 23 Oct 2009 04:27 PM BST
long-distance relationship
on the telephone we gaze at the same autumn moon ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The doctor tells me I'm old like I had no idea ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ they once moved among the stars elk antlers in the snow ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ clock shop the owner asks if I have a minute * Alexis Rotella is a regular contributor on haikai (haiku, senryu, tanka and haiga) to IS&T |
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